U.S. patent number 4,157,846 [Application Number 05/845,568] was granted by the patent office on 1979-06-12 for motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to General Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to Alan J. Whitcroft.
United States Patent |
4,157,846 |
Whitcroft |
June 12, 1979 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly
Abstract
A motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly in which a
sliding door is movable between an open position wherein said door
is suspended parallel to and adjacent a side of said vehicle and a
closed position wherein said door fills an opening in said vehicle
side and lies flush with said vehicle side.
Inventors: |
Whitcroft; Alan J.
(Barton-le-Clay, GB2) |
Assignee: |
General Motors Corporation
(Detroit, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
10452233 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/845,568 |
Filed: |
October 26, 1977 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 26, 1976 [GB] |
|
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49406/76 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/155; 49/209;
49/213 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J
5/062 (20130101); E05D 15/1047 (20130101); E05Y
2900/531 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60J
5/06 (20060101); E05D 15/10 (20060101); B60J
005/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;296/155,153,146,147
;49/213,214,221,209 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bertsch; Richard A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: MacLean, Jr.; K. H.
Claims
What is claimed is as follows:
1. A motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly including a
sliding door and three separate guide means for said sliding door,
said sliding door being movable on said three guide means between a
first position wherein said sliding door is held suspended parallel
to and adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position
wherein said sliding door fills an opening defined in said vehicle
side and lies flush with said vehicle side; the first of said guide
means being situated at the upper leading edge of the sliding door,
the second of said guide means being situated at the lower leading
edge of the sliding door, and the third of said guide means being
situated at a point on the trailing edge of the sliding door
intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof; said first guide
means comprising: a support bracket secured to the sliding door
adjacent the upper leading edge thereof; a cranked support arm
pivotally mounted at one end to said support bracket and movable
relative to said sliding door about a vertical axis extending
through said support bracket; a guide roller rotatably mounted on
the other end of said support arm and having an axis of rotation
parallel to said vertical axis; a movable secondary support arm
pivotally connected at one end thereof to said other end of said
support arm so as to pivot about an axis parallel to said vertical
axis; a load-bearing support roller rotatably mounted on the other
end of said secondary support arm and having an axis of rotation at
right angles to said vertical axis, said load-bearing support
roller having a grooved periphery; a support track secured inside
the vehicle adjacent the upper edge of said defined opening in the
vehicle side and extending at least the width of said defined
opening, said track having an upstanding portion thereof engaged
with the grooved periphery of said load-bearing support roller; and
a guide track secured inside said vehicle and above said support
track, which guide track extends at a converging angle to said
support track for at least the width of said defined opening; said
rotatable guide roller being movably retained within said guide
track so that, as the sliding door is moved from said first
position to said second position, the movement of the guide roller
and the load-bearing support roller along the respective tracks
thereof causes the upper leading edge of the door to move into
sealing engagement with a corresponding upper edge of said defined
opening.
2. A motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly including a
sliding door and three separate guide means for said sliding door,
said sliding door being movable on said three guide means between a
first position wherein said sliding door is held suspended parallel
to and adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position
wherein said sliding door fills an opening defined in said vehicle
side and lies flush with said vehicle side; the first of said guide
means being a load-bearing support means for said sliding door and
being situated at the upper leading edge of the sliding door, the
second of said guide means being situated at the lower leading edge
of the sliding door, and the third of said guide means being a
load-bearing support means for said sliding door and being situated
at a point on the trailing edge of the sliding door intermediate
the upper and lower edges thereof; said first guide means
comprising: a support bracket secured to the sliding door adjacent
the upper leading edge thereof; a cranked support arm pivotally
mounted at one end to said support bracket and movable relative to
said sliding door about a vertical axis extending through said
support bracket; a guide roller rotatably mounted on the other end
of said support arm and having an axis of rotation parallel to said
vertical axis; a movable secondary support arm pivotally connected
at one end thereof to said other end of said support arm so as to
pivot about an axis parallel to said vertical axis; a load-bearing
support roller rotatably mounted on the other end of said secondary
support arm and having an axis of rotation at right angles to said
vertical axis, said load-bearing support roller having a grooved
periphery; a support track secured inside the vehicle adjacent the
upper edge of said defined opening in the vehicle side and
extending at least the width of said defined opening, said track
having an upstanding portion thereof engaged with the grooved
periphery of said load-bearing support roller; and a guide track
secured inside said vehicle and above said support track, which
guide track extends at a converging angle to said support track for
at least the width of said defined opening; said rotatable guide
roller being movably retained within said guide track so that, as
the sliding door is moved from said first position to said second
position, the movement of the guide roller and the load-bearing
support roller along the respective tracks thereof causes the upper
leading edge of the door to move into sealing engagement with a
corresponding upper edge of said defined opening.
3. A motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly including a
sliding door and three separate guide means for said sliding door,
said sliding door being movable on said three guide means between a
first position wherein said sliding door is held suspended parallel
to and adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position
wherein said sliding door fills an opening defined in said vehicle
side and lies flush with said vehicle side; the first of said guide
means being situated at the upper leading edge of the sliding door,
the second of said guide means means being situated at the lower
leading edge of the sliding door, and the third of said guide means
being situated at a point on the trailing edge of the sliding door
indermediate the upper and lower edges thereof; said first guide
means comprising; a support bracket secured to the sliding door
adjacent the upper leading edge thereof; a cranked support arm
pivotally mounted at one end to said support bracket and movable
relative to said sliding door about a vertical axis extending
through said support bracket; a guide roller rotatably mounted on
the other end of said support arm and having an axis of rotation
parallel to said vertical axis; a movable secondary support arm
pivotally connected at one end thereof to said other end of said
support arm so as to pivot about an axis parallel to said vertical
axis; a load-bearing support roller rotatably mounted on the other
end of said secondary support arm and having an axis of rotation at
right angles to said vertical axis, said load-bearing support
roller having a grooved periphery; a support track secured inside
the vehicle adjacent the upper edge of said defined opening in the
vehicle side and extending at least the width of said defined
opening, said track having an upstanding portion thereof engaged
with the grooved periphery of said load-bearing support roller; and
a guide track secured inside said vehicle and above said support
track, which guide track extends at a converging angle to said
support track for at least the width of said defined opening and
contains said rotatable guide roller movably retained therein; and
said third guide means comprising: a substantially horizontal
U-shaped cranked arm pivoted at one end of one limb thereof to the
door about a substantially vertical axis; a guide roller rotatably
mounted on the other limb of said U-shaped cranked arm and having
an axis of rotation parallel to the pivot axis of said U-shaped
cranked arm; a load-bearing guide roller rotatably mounted on the
other limb of said U-shaped cranked arm and having an axis of
rotation at right angles to the pivot axis of said U-shaped cranked
arm; and a substantially horizontal guide track extending along the
side of the vehicle from a point adjacent both said defined opening
and said intermediate point on the trailing edge of the sliding
door, said horizontal guide track having a substantially C-shaped
cross-section and terminating in a hooked portion extending
inwardly of the vehicle at said point adjacent said defined
opening; both the guide roller and the load-bearing guide roller
mounted on the other limb of said U-shaped cranked arm being
movably retained within said horizontal guide track so that, as the
sliding door is moved from said first position to said second
position, the movement of this guide roller and load-bearing guide
roller along the horizontal guide track and around said hooked
portion causes the trailing edge of the sliding door to move into
sealing engagement with a corresponding side of said defined
opening, whilst the movement of the guide roller and the
load-bearing support roller of the first guide means in their
respective tracks causes the upper leading edge of the door to move
into sealing engagement with a corresponding edge of said defined
opening.
4. A motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly including a
sliding door and three separate guide means for said sliding door,
said sliding door being movable on said three guide means between a
first position wherein said sliding door is held suspended parallel
to and adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position
wherein said sliding door fills an opening defined in said vehicle
side and lies flush with said vehicle side; the first of said guide
means being situated at the upper leading edge of the sliding door,
the second of said guide means being situated at the lower leading
edge of the sliding door, and the third of said guide means being
situated at a point on the trailing edge of the sliding door
intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof; said first guide
means comprising: a support bracket secured to the sliding door
adjacent the upper leading edge thereof; a cranked support arm
pivotally mounted at one end to said support bracket and movable
relative to said sliding door about a vertical extending through
said support bracket; a guide roller rotatably mounted on the other
end of said support arm and having an axis of rotation parallel to
said vertical axis; a movable secondary support arm pivotally
connected at one end thereof to said other end of said support arm
so as to pivot about an axis parallel to said vertical axis; a
load-bearing support roller rotatably mounted on the other end of
said secondary support arm and having an axis of rotation at right
angles to said vertical axis, said load-bearing support roller
having a grooved periphery; a support track secured axis extending
the vehicle adjacent the upper edge of said defined opening in the
vehicle side and extending at least the width of said defined
opening, said track having an upstanding portion thereof engaged
with the grooved periphery of said load-bearing support roller; and
a guide track secured inside said vehicle and above said support
track, which guide track extends at a converging angle to said
support track for at least the width of said defined opening and
containing said rotatable guide roller movably retained therein;
said second guide means comprising: a guide arm secured at one end
to the lower leading edge of the sliding door, said guide arm
extending inwardly of the vehicle from said lower leading edge; a
guide roller rotatably mounted on the other end of said guide arm
and having a vertical axis of rotation; and a curved channel-shaped
guide track extending beneath a floor portion of the vehicle
adjacent said defined opening, which channel-shaped track guidingly
retains therein the guide roller of the second guide means and is
curved in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said floor
portion of the vehicle; and said third guide means comprising a
substantially horizontal U-shaped cranked arm pivoted at one end of
one limb thereof to the door about a substantially vertical axis; a
guide roller rotatably mounted on the other limb of said U-shaped
cranked arm and having an axis of rotation parallel to the pivot
axis of said U-shaped cranked arm; a load-bearing guide roller
rotatably mounted on the other limb of said U-shaped cranked arm
and having an axis of rotation at right angles to the pivot axis of
said U-shaped cranked arm; and a substantially horizontal guide
track extending along the side of the vehicle from a point adjacent
both said defined opening and said intermediate point on the
trailing edge of the sliding door, said horizontal guide track
having a substantially C-shaped cross-section and terminating in a
hooked portion extending inwardly of the vehicle at said point
adjacent said defined opening both the guide roller and the
load-bearing guide roller mounted on the other limb of said
U-shaped cranked arm being movably retained within said horizontal
guide track so that, as the sliding door is moved from said first
position to said second position, the movement of this guide roller
and load-bearing guide roller along the horizontal guide track and
around said hooked portion causes the trailing edge of the sliding
door to move into sealing engagement with a corresponding side of
said defined opening, whilst the movement of the guide roller and
the load-bearing support roller of the first guide means in their
respective tracks causes the upper leading edge of the door to move
into sealing engagement with a corresponding edge of said defined
opening, and the movement of the guide roller of the second guide
means along the curved channel-shaped guide track causes the lower
leading edge of the sliding door to move into sealing engagement
with a corresponding edge of said defined opening.
Description
This invention relates to motor vehicles having sliding doors
thereto, and, in particular, relates to a motor vehicle having a
sliding door assembly in which a sliding door is movable between a
first position wherein said door is suspended parallel to and
adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position wherein said
door fills an opening in said vehicle side and lies flush with said
vehicle side.
Sliding door assemblies are known which set out to solve the
problem of utilizing a sliding door in a vehicle such that, when
said door is in a closed position, it lies flush with the
surrounding bodywork of the vehicle. These known sliding door
assemblies utilize swinging linkages which, on opening the vehicle
door, effectively displace the door from its position flush with
the vehicle bodywork prior to sliding the door relative to said
bodywork along guide tracks situated on the vehicle. The swinging
linkages used in sliding door assemblies of this type are
necessarily capable of supporting the weight of the door as it is
swung from a closed position to its initial open position prior to
sliding along the guide tracks. A common feature in these known
sliding door assemblies is that one or more swinging linkages are
provided at the lower edge of the sliding door to act as both
load-bearing supports for the door as well as guide means for the
door. To ensure efficient operation of such sliding door
assemblies, the guide track for these lower swinging linkages needs
to be kept clean and un-distorted in order to produce efficient
sliding operation of the door. Since a common feature in said guide
track for such assemblies is that the guide track is situated on
the floor of the vehicle it is difficult to maintain said guide
track clear from any extraneous debris accumulating on the floor of
the vehicle.
A motor vehicle according to the invention has a sliding door
assembly in which a sliding door is movable, between a first
position wherein said door is suspended parallel to and adjacent a
side of said vehicle and a second position wherein said door fills
an opening in said vehicle side and lies flush with said vehicle
side, by three guide means situated respectively at the upper
leading edge of the door, the lower leading edge of the door and at
a point on the trailing edge of the door intermediate the upper and
lower edges thereof, the guide means at the upper leading edge of
the door comprising a cranked support arm pivotally mounted at one
end on a support bracket secured to the door adjacent the upper
leading edge thereof, said support arm being movable relative to
said door about a vertical axis extending through said support
bracket, the other end of the support arm carrying thereon firstly
a rotatable guide roller having an axis of rotation parallel to the
pivot axis of the support arm, and secondly a movable secondary
support arm which is pivotally connected at one end thereof to said
other end of the support arm so as to pivot about an axis parallel
to the pivot axis of the support arm, there being mounted on the
other end of said secondary support arm a rotatable load-bearing
support roller which is rotatable about an axis at right angles to
the pivot axis of the support arm and has a grooved periphery
thereof engaged with a support track located inside the vehicle
adjacent the upper edge of said opening in the vehicle side and
extending at least the width of said opening, the rotatable guide
roller being movably retained within a guide track located inside
the vehicle and above said support track, which guide track extends
at a converging angle to said support track for at least the width
of said opening so that, as the sliding door is moved from said
first position to said second position, the movement of the guide
roller and support roller in the respective tracks therefor causes
the upper leading edge of the door to move into sealing engagement
with a corresponding upper edge of said opening.
Advantageously, the guide means situated at the trailing edge of
the door is also a load-bearing support means for the door, and is
described hereinafter in a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
Preferably the guide means situated at the trailing edge of the
door comprises a cranked arm pivoted at one end to the door about a
substantially vertical axis, the other end of said arm carrying at
least two guide rollers movably mounted thereon, which rollers are
retained and engaged in a track extending along the side of the
vehicle, said track terminating in a horizontally disposed hooked
portion extending towards the interior of the vehicle adjacent said
opening so that, as the sliding door is moved from said first
position to said second position, the guide rollers move along said
track and around said portion thereof and cause the trailing edge
of said door to sealingly engage the corresponding edge of said
opening.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention discribed hereinafter,
the guide means situated at the lower leading edge of the door
comprises an arm secured to, and extending inwardly of the vehicle
from, the lower leading edge of the door, said arm terminating in a
movably mounted roller movably retained within a curved
channel-shaped guide track extending beneath a floor portion of the
vehicle, the curve of the guide track being such that the lower
leading edge of the door is sealingly engaged with a corresponding
portion of said opening when said door is moved into said second
position.
The object and advantages of the present invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description wherein the preferred
embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a partial side view, with parts broken away, of a side
of a motor vehicle according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a portion of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of another portion of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 with the vehicle door in an initial,
open position;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the door in a fully open
position; and
FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of a third portion of FIG. 1.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a side 12 of a motor vehicle 10 has a
sliding door 14 which, in the closed position, occupies a
substantially rectangular opening 16 in the side of the vehicle and
lies flush with said side of the vehicle. There are three guide
means provided for the door 14, these being an upper guide means 18
provided at the upper leading edge of the door, a lower guide means
20 provided at the lower leading edge of the door, and a trailing
guide means 22 provided at a point on the trailing edge of the door
intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof.
The upper guide means 18 is shown in detail in FIG. 2 of the
drawings in two positions, the left hand position corresponding to
the position of the upper guide means 18 when the sliding door 14
is in a fully opened position, and the right hand position
corresponding to the position of the upper guide means 18 when the
sliding door 14 is in a fully closed position within the opening
16. The upper guide means 18 comprises a cranked support arm 24
pivotally mounted at one end on a support bracket 26 secured to the
door 14 adjacent the upper leading edge thereof, said support arm
24 being movable relative to said door 14 about a vertical axis
extending through said support bracket 26. The other end of the
support arm 24 extends upwardly within the interior of the vehicle
10 towards the roof thereof (not shown) and carries thereon a
rotatable guide roller 28 having an axis of rotation parallel to
the pivot axis of the support arm 24, and, secondly, a movable
secondary support arm 30 which is pivotally connected at one end
thereof to said other end of the support arm 24 so as to pivot
about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the support arm 24,
there being mounted on the other end of said secondary support arm
30 twin rotatable load-bearing support rollers 32, 33 which are
rotatable about respective axes at right angles to the pivot axis
of the support arm 24. The periphery of each of the rotatable load
bearing support rollers 32, 33 has a groove 34 formed therein,
which groove engages with an upstanding edge 36 of a support track
38 which is located inside the vehicle 10 adjacent the upper edge
of said opening 16 in the vehicle side 12 and extends at least the
width of said opening 16. The rotatable guide roller 28 is movably
retained within an inverted channel shaped guide track 40 located
inside the vehicle 10 and above said support track 38, said guide
track 40 extending at a converging angle to said support track 38
for at least the width of the opening 16.
Turning now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, this shows a detailed view
of the trailing guide means 22 for the sliding door 14, when the
sliding door is in a closed position and is housed within the
opening 16 in the side 12 of the vehicle 10. The trailing guide
means 22 comprises a substantially horizontal U-shaped cranked arm
42, pivoted at one end of one limb 43 of said U-shaped arm to the
door 14 about a substantially vertical axis which extends at right
angles to the plane of the arm 42. The other limb 45 of the
U-shaped cranked arm 42 extends towards the side 12 of the vehicle
10. Secured to the mid-section of the exterior of the U-shaped
cranked arm 42 is a ledge 44 which has, on that portion adjacent
the limb 45, two extensions 46 and 48, each of which carries
movably mounted thereon a substantially horizontal guide wheel 50,
52. Movably mounted on the ledge 44 in the valley formed between
the extensions 46 and 48 is a substantially vertical load-bearing
guide roller 54. The horizontal guide rollers 50, 52, and the
vertical load-bearing guide roller 54 are movably retained and
engaged in a substantially horizontal track 56 which extends along
the side 12 of the vehicle 10. This horizontal guide track 56 has a
substantially C-shaped cross section, and terminates at the end
adjacent the opening 16 in a hooked portion 58 which extends
inwardly of the vehicle to a sufficient extent to house the
horizontal guide rollers 50, 52 and the vertical load-bearing guide
roller 54 within the bodywork of the vehicle when the door 14 is in
the closed position. A shroud 60 on the door 14 serves to partially
conceal and protect the pivoted end of the U-shaped cranked arm
42.
The application for a force to a door handle 62 (see FIG. 1) to
produce an outward movement of the door 14 from the opening 16
causes the U-shaped cranked arm 42 to move about the pivot point of
the limb 43 and the horizontal guide rollers 50, 52 and the
vertical load-bearing guide roller 54 to move along the hooked
portion 58 of the guide track 56 towards the straight portion of
said guide track. This swinging movement of the cranked arm 42
results in the trailing edge 64 of the door being lifted clear of
the vehicle side 12. This can be seen clearly in FIG. 4 of the
drawings. Sliding movement of the door 14 relative to the vehicle
side 12 will result in the horizontal guide rollers 50, 52 and the
vertical load-bearing roller 54 moving along the horizontal guide
track 56, the distance between the limbs 43, 45 of the U-shaped
cranked arm 42 being such that the inner portion of the door is
retained a predetermined distance from the bodywork of the vehicle
side 12. The position of the cranked arm 42 relative to the door 14
during said sliding movement can be seen clearly in FIG. 5 of the
drawings.
A detailed view of the lower guide means 20 for the door 14 is
shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, in which the lower guide means is
shown in the position it occupies when the door is fully opened on
the left hand side of FIG. 6, and in the position it occupies when
the door is fully closed on the right hand side of FIG. 6. The
lower guide means 20 comprises an arm 66 secured to, and extending
inwardly of the vehicle from, the lower leading edge of the door
14, said arm 66 terminating in a movably mounted, substantially
horizontal guide roller 68. This guide roller 68 is movably
retained within a curved inverted channel-shaped guide track 70
extending horizontally beneath a floor portion 72 of the vehicle
10. The floor portion 72 of the vehicle is secured to a
substantially horizontal side rail 74 of the vehicle in such a way
as to leave an access gap between said floor portion 72 and said
side rail 74 to allow movement of the arm 66 there between. The
curvature of the channel-shaped guide track 70 is such that, as the
door moves from the position shown on the left hand side of FIG. 6
to the position shown on the right hand side of FIG. 6, the lower
leading edge of the door is brought towards the side 12 of the
vehicle and then into sealing engagement with a door seal (not
shown) surrounding said opening 16.
OPERATION
Consider the door 14 initially in a closed position as shown in
FIG. 1 of the drawings. In this position, the door 14 fits in
sealing engagement with a door seal surrounding the edges of the
substantially rectangular opening 16 in the vehicle side 12. When
in this closed position, the door 14 lies substantially flush with
the surrounding bodywork of the vehicle 10. The door 14 is retained
in the closed position by latch means (not shown) which are
operated from the handle 62 on the door 14. To open the door, the
handle 62 is grasped, the latch means is released by depressing a
release mechanism on the handle 62, and a force is applied to the
handle at right angles to the vehicle side 12. This force causes
the trailing edge 64 of the door to move outwards of the vehicle
side 12 as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the arm 42 of the
trailing guide means 22 pivoting around the pivot point of the limb
43 into the position shown in FIG. 4.
To open the door 14 to its furthest extent, i.e., completely clear
of the opening 16, a force is applied on the door handle 62 in a
direction parallel to the vehicle side and directed towards the
trailing edge 64 of the door 14. This results in the door
commencing a sliding movement on the three guide means 18, 20 and
22 during which movement the leading edge of the door is moved
outwardly of the vehicle side 12 until the door 14 is held
suspended parallel to and adjacent said side 12. Sliding movement
of the door continues until the three guide means reach the
positions shown respectively on the left hand side of FIG. 2, in
FIG. 5 and on the left hand side of FIG. 6.
The required outward movement of the lower leading edge of the door
14 is produced by the lower guide means 20 as a result of the guide
roller 68 moving along the curved track 70 as shown in FIG. 6 of
the drawings. The pivoting and sliding action of the trailing guide
means 22 has already been described and is shown clearly in FIGS.
3, 4 and 5 of the drawings. As regards the upper guide means 18,
the operation of this guide means essentially is the pivotal
movement of the cranked arm 24 from its position as shown on the
right hand side of FIG. 2 to its position as shown on the left hand
side of FIG. 2, which pivotal movement occurs as a result of the
travel of the guide roller 28 and the support rollers 32, 33 along
their respective tracks 40 and 36, these respective tracks being
arranged at such an angle to one another that, as the cranked arm
24 moves from the position shown on the right hand side of FIG. 2
to the position shown on the left hand side of FIG. 2, it is caused
to pivot about the axes of rotation of the guide roller 28 and the
secondary support arm 30 until it extends substantially at right
angles to the plane of the door. Since the support track 36 extends
parallel to the opening 16 in the vehicle side 12 the net effect of
this pivoting movement of the cranked arm 24 is to displace the
upper leading edge of the door 14 away from the vehicle side 12. By
using such a swinging link mechanism on a pair of coverging tracks
for the upper guide means, it is possible to achieve the desired
motion of the upper edge of the door without the need to encroach
unduly upon the roof space available adjacent said door opening
16.
Thus the present invention provides a motor vehicle having a
sliding door assembly in which a sliding door is movable between a
first position wherein said door is suspended parallel to and
adjacent a side of said vehicle and a second position wherein said
door fills an opening in said vehicle side and lies flush with said
vehicle side by utilizing three guide means situated at
predetermined points on the sliding door, the upper guide means
being both a guide means and a suspension means for the door and
having a system of converging guide tracks which enables the upper
edge of the door to operate in the desired fashion without
requiring undue intrusion of the guide tracks into the roof space
of the vehicle.
* * * * *